Abstract Background Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is associated with a range of psychiatric disorders, including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, likely due to the physiological disruptions caused by intermittent hypoxia and sleep fragmentation. Aims & Objectives To assess the risk differences for psychiatric disorders in patients with OSA compared to those without OSA. Method Design, setting, and participants A retrospective cohort study using de-identified electronic health records from the TriNetX US Network, including adult patients aged 18-65 who had at least two medical examinations between 2016 and 2023. After propensity score matching, 360,708 patients were included in both OSA and non-OSA cohorts. Exposures Diagnosis of OSA, as recorded in medical records with ICD-10 code G47.33. Main outcomes and neasyres Incidence of psychiatric disorders, specifically schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depressive disorders, and anxiety-related diseases, tracked over an 8-year period. Results OSA patients showed higher cumulative probabilities for psychiatric disorders at 1, 3, and 8 years compared to non-OSA patients. Hazard ratios indicated significantly elevated risks for depressive disorders (HR: 1.913), anxiety-related diseases (HR: 1.663), and bipolar disorder (HR: 1.885). Minimal risk difference was observed for schizophrenia. Discussion & Conclusions This study highlights the heightened risk of psychiatric disorders in OSA patients, suggesting that comprehensive management should incorporate mental health assessments to improve overall outcomes in this population.
Cy et al. (Fri,) studied this question.